Even the most devastating loss can lead to positive change (opinion from Eric Holder)

The bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church helped to generate momentum for sweeping, transformational change.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (photo special to AL.com)

By Eric H. Holder Jr.

Fifty years ago today, a bomb ripped through the east side of Birmingham’s historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church as parishioners gathered for Sunday school. More than 20 innocent people were injured, including a 10-year-old girl. And as the smoke cleared, and the rubble was swept away, the bodies of four young girls – Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair – were discovered.

In the years leading up to the bombing, Sixteenth Street Baptist had become a landmark in the unfolding Civil Rights Movement, a popular location for meetings and marches, and the heart of religious life for much of Birmingham’s African-American community. It offered sanctuary to those who sought to worship in peace – free from discrimination and away from the violence that threatened so many who spoke out and stood up for equal justice.

Half a century ago this month, this safe haven was torn apart by an unspeakable act of hate. The senseless deaths of four little heroines, dressed in their Sunday finest, marked a seminal and tragic moment in our nation’s history. It sparked outrage across the country, leading to clashes between protesters and police, and drawing mourners from all races, creeds, backgrounds, and walks of life to travel to Birmingham to pay their respects.

Among these mourners was the Rev.Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose uplifting words had inspired hundreds of thousands at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom just weeks before. In a moving eulogy for the victims of the bombing, Dr. King reminded his fellow citizens that, even in the face of horrific violence, “we must substitute courage for caution” and “work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream.”

He recognized, even in that dark moment, that outpourings of grief and anger must soon give way to a fresh sense of resolve. He assured the families of the fallen that their loved ones did not die in vain. Most importantly, he found, in a moment of national heartbreak, a glimmer of hope: that even the most devastating loss can lead to positive change, shaking our nation out of complacency and yielding a new determination for all Americans to make real the promise of a future that was brighter, more equal, and more just.

In the months and years that followed, millions stepped forward to do just that. The bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church helped to generate momentum for sweeping, transformational change – including the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. Today, its legacy can be measured not only in lives lost, but in countless positive steps our nation has witnessed over the past five decades.

Despite this progress, the struggle for equal rights, equal opportunity, and equal justice remains ongoing. Hate never leaves us; it must always be confronted and defeated. Every generation must stand vigilant against those who would reverse the advances we’ve seen. This is why, earlier this summer, President Barack Obama signed a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the bombing’s four young victims. And it’s why, at last month’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, the President stood with members of Dr. King’s family as they rang one of the bells from the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, calling today’s citizens to stand united – as one nation and one people – to honor the memories of those who were lost by making certain that such an event can never happen again.

For the hardworking public servants at every level of our nation’s Department of Justice, and for me personally, this constitutes a solemn obligation. As the father of two young women, it’s heartbreaking for me to look at pictures of Addie Mae, Carole, Cynthia, and Denise – little girls who were so innocent, and so full of the hope of youth, when they were taken from us and denied the chance to become the women they might have been.

As we remember these heroines today, we still shed tears. We grieve them, and recognize the sacrifices made by countless others, throughout our history, in the pursuit of equality. Our tribute to the victims of this bombing must be a renewed commitment to confront the problems that remain before us; to combat racially-motivated violence; to isolate those who act out of hate; and to protect the civil and voting rights to which every American is entitled. All of us must strive, in our lives and careers, to make real our vision of the world that these four angels never had the chance to see: a world where all are treated equally.

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